Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) today announced that weekend shooting hours have been extended at the Glastonbury Shooting Range, beginning Saturday, October 26 to accommodate deer hunters as they prepare for the opening of the general firearms deer hunting season on November 20. The Range will be open weekends until December 1, 2013; extended hours will be available on all weekend days from October 26 through December 1.

The range, which is located off Toll Gate Road in the Meshomasic State Forest, is normally open on Saturdays and Sundays from 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM. The new hours will extend supervised shooting to 4:00 PM each weekend day, with the 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM time period reserved specifically for deer hunters that have a valid 2013 firearms deer hunting permit. Deer hunters can only make advance reservations one week at a time by calling the Range Reservation line at 860-424-3737 or by sending an E-mail to glastonburyrange@ct.gov starting on Mondays at 9:00 AM through Tuesdays at 2:00 PM. Requestors for the extended time period should leave their name, Conservation ID Number, and a daytime phone number. Walk-in shooters will continue to be accommodated on a first-come, first-serve basis, but preference will be given to those that can show proof of a valid firearms deer permit.

“This timely change will provide an opportunity for those deer hunters who need to make final adjustments on their hunting firearms to do so,” stated Rick Jacobson, Director of the DEEP’s Wildlife Division. “Finding a safe place to sight in a firearm is often difficult for the average hunter who doesn’t belong to a private club with an established range,” continued Jacobson.

The Glastonbury Shooting Range has been in operation since 1980 and was originally developed as a site for sportsmen to practice and sight in their hunting firearms. Over the years, the site has been improved with extensive renovations and now accommodates a wider variety of recreational shooters.

All operational costs at the range are funded through a special allocation of federal funds derived from excise taxes paid on the purchase of sporting arms and ammunition. Under the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act (commonly called the Pittman-Robertson Act), Connecticut receives a dedicated allocation of funds that can be used for the development, operation, and maintenance of public shooting ranges.

For more information, including days of operation, range rules, what to bring, and driving directions, visit the DEEP website at www.ct.gov/deep/hunting. From the Hunting and Trapping menu, select “Target and Trap Shooting” and select the link under “Glastonbury Shooting Range.”